In the preparation of ferrous metal alloy powders containing substantial amounts of boron, that is, from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight typically, boron is added to the melt as a master alloy of ferroboron or nickel boron. Such alloys, typically containing from about 15% to about 20% by weight boron are expensive, making boron by far the most expensive component, commonly amounting to about 15% to about 20% of raw material cost in an alloy containing about 3% boron by weight.
Consequently, a method of introducing boron into the alloy which avoids the master alloy would be an advancement in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,866,688 describes a process for producing amorphous boron of high purity, that is free of boron suboxides. The process as described use magnesium and does not address the needs filled by the present invention since it does not disclose the production of ferrous metal alloys containing boron.